


Muffins

by orphan_account



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bisexual Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes Has PTSD, Bunnies, Domestic Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Domestic Fluff, Gen, Gift Fic, M/M, Not established relationship at the start, Pets, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Super soldiers and small fluffy animals, Theres also a little blood at the start, They're living together though, nothing major tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-04 14:08:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5336888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It all happened so fast. One moment he was driving, deep in thought, and the next - there was a rabbit, he couldn't stop. Did he hit it? </p><p>*</p><p>AKA the time Steve and Bucky got a pet in a less-than-conventional way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Muffins

**Author's Note:**

> Gift for my good tumblr friend, bunny-bucky. I know they're a fan of Steve + Bucky + bunnies so I wrote them this for being a great friend. 
> 
> This is purely for enjoyment, so I'm not looking for critique!

It all happened so fast. One moment he was driving, deep in thought, and the next - there was a rabbit, he couldn't stop. Did he hit it? 

Steve swerves over to the curb and leaps out of the car. _Please don't be dead, please be okay._

It's not like he's never hit animals before - not on purpose, of course not. But right now, he's overwhelmed with guilt. He should have been watching the road, and he wasn't. It's his fault. 

It's lying in the gutter, blood seeping from a nasty-looking gash in it's hind-leg. As Steve gets nearer the animal whimpers, trying in desperation to drag itself away. He gulps, blinking back tears.

"Oh my god, sweetheart," he whispers. "I'm so sorry."

The rabbit's eyes widen as he reaches out to touch it, and it freezes. He gently runs his hand through its soft tawny fur, his own hand shaking. He can't leave it here. There's no question that it'll die. But there's no animal shelters in the area, and even if there was they'd be closed. It's already 6:59. And back home, Bucky's waiting for Steve to return with dinner (but knowing him, it's safe to say he's found something to eat). 

So Steve, left with no choice, decides the only option is to take it home. And maybe, just maybe, save it. He unzips his jacket and throws it over the bunny. Then, as gentle as he can be, Steve picks the rabbit up. 

He holds it close to his chest and stands up. He needs to keep it warm, that much he knows. And if it does die - well, it won't be alone, wet and cold in a gutter. If all he can do is keep it warm and safe, that's enough. 

He runs back to the car and jumps inside. He lays the rabbit down on the seat next to him and ignites the engine. It's not far to the apartment, but the little animal looks terrified and he's scared it might go into shock. He has to get back. 

__________________

"It's not your fault, Steve."

Bucky stands across the table, gazing at Steve. His eyes are warm, sincere, and Steve can almost let himself believe. 

"I should've been watching the road," he mutters.

The rabbit's tucked up in a cardboard box between them. It's still alive, but it seems to be struggling to hold on. It whimpers whenever either of them approach it. Which is understandable, but only makes Steve feel worse.

"Okay, you should've. But that doesn't matter, okay? What're you gonna do now?" Bucky asks. Steve smiles. Trust Bucky to repeat the same thing Steve tells him when he's having a bad day.

"Heal it. I've gotta make up for hitting it."

"And if it doesn't get better?" Bucky prompts, raising his eyebrows.

Steve shakes his head. "Buck, I can't - I couldn't kill it." 

And it's true. For all the people he's killed on missions, he knows he couldn't bring himself to hurt an animal. Much less one he feels responsible for. 

Bucky nods. "I know, Stevie. Wanna get started?"

"Sure. It needs a wash, for starters." 

"I'll run some water," Bucky replies, stepping over to the sink. 

Steve, meanwhile, turns his attention to the rabbit. He leans closer, and the rabbit flinches. He sighs, expression full of pity.

"I'm so sorry," he mutters, stroking the top of the rabbit's head. It's one of the only clean spots on its fur; the rest's spattered with blood. Somehow, though, the leg doesn't look broken. It's hard to tell by sight alone, but it doesn't appear bent or swollen. 

Just then the sound of running water stops, and Bucky steps over. 

"All done."

"Thanks, Buck."

"D'you need any help?"

Steve snorts. "It's a rabbit. Can't be that hard." 

Bucky raises an eyebrow, smirking. "If you say so," he replies, grabbing a cookie from the jar and going to sit at the table. 

Steve turns back to the bunny and lifts it up, mindful of its leg. Steve feels it stiffen as it notices the water, but there's no stopping now. He hopes this won't send it over the edge. The animal's already exhausted. 

Still, the water's not deep. 

Steve lowers the rabbit in, supporting its head with one hand. 

With the other, he scoops up some water and pours it over its body. The clear water's starting to turn pink, as as he continues it darkens to near-red. 

After a few minutes, the bunny is pretty much clean, although shivering, fur plastered to its tiny body. Steve picks it up, transferring it back to the table. 

He grabs a towel and drapes it over the rabbit's back, then lifts it up again and cradles it in his arms like a newborn baby. The animal closes it's eyes. It's been a long day. 

_______________ 

_The next day, 10:35 am_

"And you're sure it'll be okay, if the leg's not broken?" 

Steve's voice is full of concern. He's on the phone, having a long conversation with the veterinarian on the other end. 

"Okay, thank you. I wish I could bring it in, there's just nowhere near to us."

He pauses. 

"Have a good day, then, ma'am. Thank you." 

Then he hangs up and turns to Bucky.

"Good news. She said it's got a pretty good shot if we keep the wound clean, and the bone's not broken. Just keep it warm, make sure it's eating," he explains. 

Bucky nods. "Easy enough." 

Steve zips up his jacket. "I'm gonna go get some bandages. God knows why we don't have 'em already, the amount of shit you get into," he says, meeting Bucky's gaze and raising an eyebrow. "You want anything, Buck?" 

Bucky ponders for a moment. "Hot cocoa would be nice," he decides, and Steve nods and smiles at him before leaving. Bucky hears the door slam a few seconds later, and turns his attention to the rabbit. 

It's huddled up on his lap - he's in the armchair, his usual seat of choice. He's stroking the little creature's ears, watching as its nose twitches up and down, over and over. He's not sure how to feel about the rabbit. He could hurt it, as he's hurt so many things, and the thought makes him feel a little sick. 

But, he reminds himself, Steve trusts him. And Steve doesn't trust people for nothing these days. 

He's deep in thought when the rabbit moves, nuzzling his left arm. The metal one. Bucky freezes, not daring to move. How can it be so comfortable with him? Doesn't it know how easy he could lose control and hurt it? 

Bucky takes a deep breath and moves the fingers of his left arm. The rabbit pauses, and then goes back to sniffing, ears perked up. 

He smiles. Perhaps he's not as terrible as he thinks he is. Perhaps he's not the person HYDRA made him to be.

_______________

_11:52 am_

It's not going well. 

Who knew putting a bandage on a rabbit was so hard? Not Steve, but he's quickly finding out.

Bucky's holding the rabbit down, while Steve tries to secure its injured leg without injuring it further. It's harder than it sounds.

After a few moments of struggling, Steve manages to get a hold of its leg. He applies the bandage with haste, securing it with a piece of medical tape. Bucky releases the rabbit, huffing, and it balls itself up, glaring at them. Steve pets the animal's head, and its flick its ears in irritation. 

"I think it hates you, Steve," Bucky says with a smirk. Steve frowns. 

"Hey, you helped. You're just as open to its anger."

Bucky rolls his eyes, arms crossed. "I'm not the one who saved it. It liked you more."

"Whatever you say, Buck," Steve replies. For a moment he has the urge to lean forward, kiss Bucky's perfect lips, but then it passes and he just pats his shoulder. "So," he says, "you want lunch? Thought we could have soup."

Bucky smiles. "Sounds good to me." 

______________ 

_The next week, Wednesday, 1:18 pm_

It was a hard decision, but now it's made and there's no escaping it. It's a wild rabbit, and as such it belongs in the wild. Not cooped up in an apartment, never going outside. 

It's made a good recovery, and the only give-away that it was ever injured is a scar. It runs up the hind leg, and is only visible when the fur's parted. It's acting better, too. Although Steve's not keen on interacting with it - it's not a pet - he'll admit he's grown fond of it. 

But all that is about to come to an end. They've decided that it's best to re-release it. Not into the city - god knows how it even got there - but into a quiet part of the countryside. Steve contacted a wildlife shelter a few hours away, and today's the day. 

The bunny's crouching on the table while Bucky tries to fix the door on a pet carrier. Steve's nearby, scribbling down directions on an old piece of scrap paper, brows furrowed. It'll take two and a half hours to get there, if the traffic's good, and he's kind of dreading the drive. He's never been a fan of driving. 

It'd been nice, having a - no, not a pet. Having an animal around. Perhaps, Steve thinks, it's time to get a pet. But what kind? Dogs are too much work. Cats are okay, but he's not awfully keen on them. Fish are nice, but not all that interesting. Besides, aren't they too busy to care for an animal?

There's a snap, and Bucky steps back. "Fuckin' finally," he mutters, glaring at the door, now fixed on. Steve rolls his eyes, clicking the pen off as he turns around. 

"Took you long enough," he says. Bucky scowls. 

"It's harder than it looks. Seriously, who designs these things?"

Steve shrugs. He steps over and picks the rabbit up, as gentle as ever. The animal presses against him, and he hugs its little body close to his chest. "You're a sweetheart," he murmurs. "You've been so brave." 

And he knows it can't understand, but he has to say something to it. Even if it doesn't understand words, it can hear his tone of voice, calm and quiet. Just then Bucky steps in, anxiously licking his lips. 

"Can - can I hold it?" he asks. Steve nods, passing the bunny over to Bucky. His hug is stronger than Steve's, but no less gentle. He strokes its soft fur, closing his eyes. It leans its head against him, and Bucky sighs. Steve knows he's dreading leaving it. In the short time with him, the rabbit's been a comfort to Bucky - sitting with him after nightmares, calming him. And now it's leaving, and they'll never see it again. 

Then the embrace is over and Bucky's lowering the rabbit into the carrier. He locks the door, and Steve goes to get his coat. Bucky's ready to go. He always likes to be prepared; it makes him feel in control. 

Steve picks up the pet carrier and together they head out, down the flight of stairs and to the car. The same car that hit the rabbit. 

Bucky holds the pet carrier while Steve drives. He keeps glancing out the window, and a few times Bucky has to remind him to focus on the road. He tries, but it's hard. There's a million thoughts in his head and none of them involve driving. 

If giving the rabbit up is the right thing, then why does it feel wrong? He knows rabbits don't live that long in the wild, and in a way it feels like sending it to its death. Which, of course, is ridiculous, but the thought persists. 

He continues on like that, ruminating, exchanging a few words with Bucky, until they arrive. 

The wildlife centre is a single story building with two large glass doors. There's lights on inside, and Steve catches a glimpse of a front desk as he pulls into a parking spot. There's a few other cars, which he assumes belongs to staff.

He glances at Bucky and squeezes his hand. They get out and head towards the building, the pet carrier tucked under Bucky's arm. The rabbit's eyes are wide with fear, and Steve feels a stab of pity for it. It's nose twitches, taking in a the strange scents. 

Steve opens the door for Bucky and follows him inside. At the front desk, a dark-haired woman is talking on the phone. She smiles at the two of them as they enter, signalling for them to sit down. 

A minute or so later she puts the phone down and looks up at them. 

"Rogers?" she asks. Steve nods, offering a polite smile as he strides over to the desk. Bucky follows. 

"So," she says, "you said you've got a rabbit that got hit by a car. It's healed okay, then?"

"Yeah, it's fine," Bucky interjects. "There's a scar on its leg, but other than that it's okay."

He lifts up the pet carrier for the woman to see. She glances into the box and a small frown appears on her face. She looks up and Steve, and then Bucky. 

"Is everything okay, ma'am?" asks Steve, more than a little confused. 

She tucks her hair behind her ear, giving a brief smile.

"Well," she begins. "This is...awkward. That rabbit isn't wild."

Bucky's eyes meet Steve's. Not wild? He's not sure he heard right at first. It sure looks wild to him - scrawny, with brown fur. He opens his mouth to speak, but Bucky's already there.

"How do you tell?"

The woman looks up. "For one thing, I thought it was weird that you found a wild rabbit in the city. Second, look at the head. It's too round. If it was a wild one - that is, a cottontail - its head would be longer and more narrow. And its body is far too big."

"What should we do, then?" asks Steve. The original plan was to release it, but it seems that's out of the question. He's relieved, though; he had never been too keen on releasing the creature, and now they won't have to. 

"Well, has the animal bonded with either of you?" she asks.

Bucky nods. "Both of us, to a degree."

"Then keep it. You can't release it into the wild, it wouldn't last a night out here. Keep it, if you can."

Bucky's eyes light up, and he beams. "We will. Won't we, Steve?" he says, looking pointedly at Steve. Steve pauses, and then smiles. 

"Sure. Thank you, ma'am."

"You're welcome. Y'know, you look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?"

Steve shuffles his feet. Please don't say she's recognized him. It doesn't happen too often he's good at blending in by now, but being recognized isn't always a pleasant experience. It's not that he doesn't like people who support him, so much as his anxiety. That and the fact that he never wanted to be a national icon. But here he is. 

He forces a smile, while Bucky watches quietly. "I don't think so," he says. "But I get that a lot."

The woman nods. "Have a nice evening."  
____________

It's dark by the time they get home. 

Bucky collapses on the sofa with the pet carrier and Steve joins him.

"I don't believe it," he huffs. "I mean, it's obvious now, but how the fuck didn't we realize it's not wild?" 

Bucky makes a face as he opens the cage door. The rabbit peeks out in wary curiosity, trying to get a feel of its surroundings. 

"We're not exactly rabbit experts, Steve," he replies. "It's a simple mistake." 

"And now we've got a pet that we know little to nothing about!" Steve exclaims, throwing his hands in the air. He takes a deep breath, leaning back and looking at the ceiling.

Bucky's face drops and he turns to Steve. "Wait - Steve, are you saying we should give it away?"

Steve glances at him. Bucky's eyes are wide, brimming with concern. He knows how much the rabbit means to Bucky, how it's actually helped with his nightmares and anxiety. It's obvious that Bucky's worried. He's the one who thinks with his head, while Steve uses his heart, but it seems now he's making an exception. 

And Steve doesn't want to adopt out the rabbit, but he wants to be sure it has the best life it can. He's not sure he or Bucky can provide that - what with being Captain America and all, he doesn't exactly have that much free time. 

But if it's a trade off between the rabbit perhaps being unhappy and Bucky being heartbroken, he'll admit with shame that he'd choose Bucky. 

"No," he says, breaking the silence. "I just want to be sure we can look after it. It's a living creature and if we keep it, we've gotta be able to care for it." 

"I can do that," is Bucky's instant reply. "I'll research."

Steve smiles, and then, not entirely sure what he's doing, leans over and kisses Bucky. It's small and simple, on his jaw, but Bucky's cheeks go red and he looks at Steve, wide-eyed. 

Steve freezes. He can't read Bucky's face, but he's pretty sure he's not awfully thrilled. Of course, they've kissed before, when they were younger, and those meant nothing, but what Steve just did - that was different. It was the type of kiss shared by couples, anything but platonic.

"Oh my god," Bucky whispers. "Steve, what the fuck?"

It's Steve's turn to blush now. He buries his face in his hands, kicking himself. Why was he such an idiot? Of course Bucky doesn't love him. At least, not in that way. 

"I - I'm sorry, Buck, I don't know wha-"

Bucky grabs his shirt and pulls him closer before he can finish. Steve forces himself to meet Bucky's gaze, and he's surprised to see not anger in his eyes, but...excitement? 

"Shut the hell up," mutters Bucky. "Do you know how long I've waited for you to do that?"

Steve frowns. "Wait, you wanted me to kiss you?"

Bucky raises an eyebrow. "Take a wild guess, Steve." 

Steve gulps, glancing at Bucky. He leans in again, and Bucky closes his eyes, but before their lips meet there's an interruption. 

The rabbit, finally finding enough confidence to come out, leaps onto Bucky's lap. He pulls back, biting his lip to stop himself yelling as claws dig into his legs. 

"Fucking hell," he spits, glaring at the small creature. It hops across him onto Steve, where it settles down into a crouch and lays back its ears. Steve grins at Bucky as he strokes the rabbit's fur, feeling the curve of its back beneath his hand. 

"It's gonna need a name, Buck," he says, a few moments later. 

Bucky shrugs, smirking. "You name it. You almost murdered it with the car, after all." 

Steve shoves Bucky with his arm, scowling. "And I'm also the one who saved it," he retorts. "Fine, then. How about Muffin?" 

The reasoning behind the name is: A) the rabbit is kind of muffin-shaped, and B) it's cute and easy to remember. And he likes muffins. Bucky nods, leaning over to pat the bunny's head. It closes its eyes, laying its chin down.

Bucky sighs, moving closer to Steve and resting his head on Steve's shoulder. Steve puts his arm around him, and Bucky falls asleep with little trouble.

Steve can't move, but he's okay with that. He can still remember, so clear, before the war - Bucky curled around him, desperate to keep him warm and safe. And now, after all these years, they're together again, finally able to be more than friends. 

Steve closes his eyes, and the last thing he remembers is the feel of Muffin's fur, soft and smooth beneath his fingers.

**Author's Note:**

> Because I'm weird and have trouble finishing anything written in from a human's POV, I wrote this from the rabbit's second person POV originally. I've edited thoroughly but there may be a few parts I've missed where it says 'you' or 'your' instead of it or its. Feel free to tell me if you find any, though I think I changed them all 
> 
> Also, if anyone's wondering, the bunny's an agouti, looking something like [this!](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Rabbit_%28agouti%29_04.jpg/1200px-Rabbit_%28agouti%29_04.jpg)


End file.
